Christmas ATC inspired by Tim's 2007 Day 4 Tag

 Tim used his "Christmas Memories" stamp and a hand made multicolor ink pad for his 2007 Day 4 Tag. I decided to go for the look of the dimensional collage, rather than the techniques today.
I had a sheet of thick scrapbook paper that had repeated Christmas images, I cut out a piece that was ATC size,and inked the edges with vintage photo Distress Ink.

Cut out some of the same sections, colored the edges with vintage photo Distress Ink, attached with foam mounting tape.

 Cut out the main Santa image and the square with 25, colored the edges with vintage photo Distress Ink and adhered with foam mounting tape. Covered with 25 with Diamond Glaze and added some Frosted Lace Stickles to part of the Santa image. Cut out HO HO HO and adhered to the top of the card.

Hard to capture the dimensional aspect of this ATC with a photo.

Christmas ATC Inspired by Tim's 2007 Day 3 Tag

 So far Tim's 2007 Day 3 Tag has been the most challenging for me to try to capture the look I like while lacking some of the supplies. Tim used a great Santa collage stamp with a mixture of different colored (including red & green) Distress embossing powders. Tim recommends shaking the jars of distress embossing powder really well and open the colors you're going to use. I made masks of the Santa image and the holly I plan to use and placed on the card. Then stamped the music score with tea stain Distress ink, coated with walnut stain Distress Powder and heat set and allowed to cool.

Stamped holly with green Distress ink, coated with clear embossing powder and heat set. Then stamped the Santa image with red Distress ink, coated the hat area with clear embossing powder and the rest of the stamped area with black Distress Powder, heat set and let cool. After the powder had cooled, rubbed my hand over the powders to remove the release crystals. Not quite what Tim achieved, but I like it and it appears distressed.

 Used blending tool to color over tag with green and red Distress Inks and colored the edges with walnut stain Distress Ink.

 Cut an oval shape out of grunge paper, painted with gold acrylic paint, let dry. Embossed in embossing folder, painted thin layer of dark brown acrylic paint and brushed some off.

 Cut numbers out of black card stock, adhered to tag and coated with diamond glaze. Attached tag with black brads.

Christmas ATC Inspired by Tim's 2007 Day 2 Tag

 This ATC uses some of the techniques Tim Holz used in his 2007 Day 2 Tag.
Stamped snowflakes onto card with white acrylic paint, immediately coat with clear embossing powder and heat set.

 Press assorted blue colored Distress Inks onto a craft sheet and mist with water, lay card down into ink press but don't swirl. Heat set. 

 Repeat pressing the card back into the above inks, heat setting after each time. Drying after each time creates depth.

 Tim used a snowman stamp with lots of dark background. I choose this winter village scene. Stamped with black Distress ink and heat set.

 Doesn't show well in the photo, colored over the black night sky with rock candy Stickles and over the snowy roofs of the buildings with frosted lace Stickles and let dry.

 Tim used snowflake "ghost shapes" (I'm not sure what those are) so I cut snowflakes with the snowflake on the edge die out of packaging plastic and colored it with white acrylic paint. Adhered to the card and added rhinestones and stamped the words with midnight blue StazOn ink.

Christmas ATC inspired by Tim's 2007 Day 1 Tag

 I had so much fun following along with Tim Holtz's 12 Days of Christmas this year, I'm going back to try the techniques and products from the other years. I'm starting at the beginning 2007 Tag 1. I won't get them all done this season, but will do what I can get to.
Tim used old paper and fired brick Distress Crackle Paints. I don't have those colors, so I improvised and it seem to work. Painted a grunge board "S" with red pepper acrylic paint and when it dried coated it with fired brick Distress ink, let dry, the painted on a thick layer of rock candy Distress Crackle paint and let it dry. Colored part of a card with old paper Distress Ink, heat set, then painted on a thick layer of rock candy Distress Crackle paint and let it dry.

Once the crackle paint dried, colored rest of card with assorted Distress Inks with a blending tool and let dry.

 Used distress tool to rough up the edges and colored the edges with walnut stain Distress Ink. Stamped a Santa image with black Distress Ink. As in Tim's tag, where the image is stamped over the crackle paint, it appears more faded.

 Used the walnut stain Distress Ink over the crackle paint on the "S". Added paper with music score (colored with vintage photo Distress Ink) and piece of paper with the number 25 and some red ribbon with a small buckle.

Christmas ATC Inspired by Tim's Day 12 Tag

 I used a couple of the techniques on this ATC that Tim Holtz showed on his Day 12 Tag.
Stamped some script on card with black Archival Ink and let dry. The cover with picket fence Distress Stain, allow to soak in, then heat set with a heat tool.

Covered card with matte gel, then lay down a piece of tissue wrap slightly larger than the card. While laying it down wrinkle it up to create folds and interesting texture.

 Use craft iron to flatten down the tissue wrap. Roughen the edges with a distress tool. Coat entire surface with a thin layer of rock candy Stickles and allow to dry.

 Cut piece of grunge paper into house shape, paint with light blue acrylic paint (I used Lumiere), allow to dry. Sand edges and color with walnut stain Distress ink. Coat entire surface with rock candy Stickles and allow to dry.

 Color edges of house with white acrylic paint and rub finger over to give distress look.

 Had a bit of copper colored German scrap, so colored parts of a  snowflake metal brad with a copper pen, along with parts of angel image and along the edges of the ATC.

 Adhered house to ATC, added angel image along with some words from a dictionary. Also added some music text to the ATC.

I've had fun, listening to Christmas music, following Tim's blog and being inspired to create these Christmas ATCs. They will go into a book for reference through out the year, so many techniques!

Christmas ATC Inspired by Tim's Day 11 Tag

 Wow, the shrink mosaic technique Tim Holtz showed on his blog today for his Day 11 Tag is so stunning I love it!!! Make sure you watch the video. 
I couldn't find my shrink plastic, I'm out of UTEE, and don't own a melting pot. What is a crafter to do?!? Get creative!!! Disclaimer: what I did isn't close to how terrific the shrink mosaics are, but an adequate substitute in a pinch.
I remember hearing that some plastic packaging will shrink with heat, but not what I had. So I cut out so plastic packaging to size. A tree branch by hand and the small bird with a die. I coated them with embossing ink, covered with Detail clear embossing powder (ep) and heat set. I did the back side with one coat, and the front side with three coats. The back coat melted off when I heated the top coats. If I do this again, I'll sanding the plastic first and see if that works. Be aware that the plastic gives off fumes when heated, open windows or do in good ventilated area.

  When the plastic pieces cooled, colored the backs with alcohol inks (I'm also out of felt pieces to put on an applicator so I poured the alcohol ink directly on the backs and let sit to dry. Some of the ink pooled around to the front side as well.

 Looks pretty good.

 Followed Tim's suggestion and for this card, painted the back sides with white acrylic paint and let dry.

 Colored glossy card stock with variety of blue Distress Inks and a little brown.
Flicked on water with my fingers over the card.

 Heat with heat tool, this gives a great bleach effect.

 Stamped snow flurries with tumbled glass Distress Ink and heat set.

 Painted top edges of branches with white acrylic paint, let dry. Then glued on plastic bits with Glossy Accents. Colored edges of card with walnut stain Distress Ink. Stamped Merry Christmas and snowflake with black Archival Ink. Highlighted areas with Frosted Lace Stickles. Added small yellow rhinestone for bird's eye and white rhinestone to snowflake.

OK, I've ordered a melting pot. I'm finally convinced I want one.

Christmas ATC Inspired by Tim's Day 10 Tag

 I'm having fun being inspired by Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas. More great techniques in his Day 10 Tag. Tim used a kraft tag for his base, I wanted a more distressed look. I pressed the old paper Distress Ink onto a craft sheet, spritzed with water and place my card into the ink, then heat set. Repeated those steps with antique linen Distress Ink. Stamped a music score image with black Archival Ink and colored the edges with forest moss Distress ink.

 Stamped on holly images with forest moss Distress Ink, covered with clear embossing powder and heat set. I later added a third set of holly to my card.

 Tim sprayed his tag with perfect pearls mist. I used a home made mist with gold Perfect Pearls and yellow re-inker. Decided I wanted more gold on my card, so dropped some gold Perfect Pearls directly on the card and lightly misted with water, then heat set. Deliberately dropped some of the Perfect Pearls over the holly images.

 Tim made "vintage mercury glass" ornaments out of his facets and packing tape transfers (lots of detailed instructions and photos on his blog). I don't have the facets, so decided to give it a go using his fragments. Choose two vintage Santa images out of scrapbook paper and covered with clear packing tape. I burnished the back side with a bone folder.

 Then dip in warm water and gently remove the paper layers from the back, careful to leave on the last thin layer. Attached flashing tape to the back. Note the difference from the start above, to the finish below, cool.

 Adhered fragments over the Santa images with Diamond Glaze, attached to card with gold thread and mini black brads. Added red "pearls" to bottom ivy. Wrote BELIEVE with black permanent marker on paper, cut out and colored edges with forest moss Distress ink. Covered letters with Diamond Glaze.

Like the distress look of this ATC.